Stay Out Stay Alive

Stay Out Stay Alive is a gripping survival thriller from 2019, directed and written by Dean Yurke, that explores the themes of greed, desperation, friendship, and survival within the vast wilderness. The movie stars Brie Mattson, Brandon Wardle, and Sage Mears.

Stay Out Stay Alive opens with a group of five young hikers: Donna (played by Brie Mattson), Bridget (played by Christina July Kim), Reese (played by Sage Mears), Brandon (played by Brandon Wardle), and Kyle (played by Michael Flynn), who venture into Yosemite National Park for a relaxing camping trip. What begins as a lighthearted adventure soon takes an ominous turn when they veer off their trail, becoming lost within the expansive wilderness. The initial spirit of exploration and camaraderie of the group begins to fray as tension rises.

In their search for a way back, they stumble upon an abandoned gold mine, a place laden with history and a foreboding sign that warns of the mine's deadly consequences - a harbinger of the heart-stopping events to come. The group's discovery of gold within the mine ignites a fever of materialistic obsession that begs the question: How far can someone go in their longing for wealth?

Mattson stands out with her portrayal of Donna, whose character develops throughout the movie from the easy-going, fun-loving individual to a woman torn with guilt, fear, and greed. On the other hand, Wardle's character, Brandon, gives an uncanny sense of caution and calculative instincts from the beginning. Mears's portrayal of the adventurous Reese brings forth a different kind of desperation, making the character progression of each main character an exciting aspect to watch.

Despite the chilling warning they receive from a park ranger (played by Barbara Crampton) about the mine’s history and the dangers associated with it, they decide to stay and excavate the mine for more gold, ignoring clear signs that they should leave. This decision leads to a series of harrowing encounters and supernatural events that test their sanity and survival skills. With their dreams of unimaginable wealth blinding them, the group inadvertently awakens a malevolent spirit that guards the gold. Rather than turning back, they become even more entangled in this deadly game.

As their numbers begin to dwindle and sanity begins to fray, the feeling of inescapable doom and desperation magnifies. Faced with mortal dangers both natural and supernatural, they quickly understand the punishment for their greed, as they're forced to fight not just for their freedom, but for their very lives.

The tension is complemented by the visually arresting cinematography by Reinhart 'Rayteam' Peschke, which captures the beauty and dread of the wilderness beautifully. The eeriness of the mine and surrounding forest is amplified by the effective use of lighting and shadows, making the location just as much a character in the movie as the actors.

Composer Nao Sato’s hauntingly atmospheric score sets the mood, helping the audience feel the fear, anticipation, and regret experienced by the characters. There’s a constant underlying apprehension that is successfully conveyed through the score, one that fully immerses the audience into the film’s environment.

Stay Out Stay Alive walks aboard the thin line of a simple survival thriller and paranormal horror, cleverly tying physical survival with the mental and moral aspects in an engaging narrative. The film delves into the human psyche and the imminent danger we can cause ourselves when our sense of adventure becomes clouded by greed.

Despite being a relatively low-budget film, Stay Out Stay Alive succeeds in delivering a highly suspense-packed and thought-provoking narrative coupled with captivating performances by the cast. It is a chilling reminder of the destructive capabilities of greed and the demons within ourselves that can surface in extreme circumstances.